Author Topic: Vat - Extra Large Stockpots  (Read 22852 times)

Cheese Head

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Re: Vat - Extra Large Stockpots
« Reply #45 on: July 03, 2009, 02:15:31 PM »
Artisan power box, looks great!

Looking back at the girl in your pot reminded me of the old cannibal cartoons!

wharris

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Re: Vat - Extra Large Stockpots
« Reply #46 on: July 03, 2009, 03:48:24 PM »
If you will notice, she is the smaller one in the pictures gallery.  They are my little neighborhood "helpers"

("whatcha doing Mr. Harris...,  Whats that Mr. Harris?...,  Can I try Mr. Harris?..., How come she got a longer turn stirring Mr. Harris... Is it my turn to scoop Mr. Harris?")


Anyway,  good kids. 


I glued up and assembled the heating elements. They are drying at the moment.  When they dry up, i will finish them by gluing on the cap and marking them min/max water levels etc...


Then its off to making the curd knife.

wharris

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Re: Vat - Extra Large Stockpots
« Reply #47 on: July 03, 2009, 10:54:05 PM »
First Test Run of the new heat!

10,000watts and 75 amps of heat!!

So far, it looks good and feels solid. 
Kinda messy,  I have to put some serious thought to cable managment and making things neat and tidy. 
But hey, this is just testing.




Cheese Head

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Re: Vat - Extra Large Stockpots
« Reply #48 on: July 04, 2009, 11:11:17 AM »
Nicely organized, of course you won't need to heat as much water when that 100 quart monster full of milk is in there. Thoughts and questions:
  • Are you going to rest it on bottom or raise to allow better water flow underneath?
  • With that much heat generation on one side, are you going to have a small water circ device or just stir by hand every now and then during your 40 min while raising temp?
  • How are you going to fill (hose?) and more importantly drain all that water (syphon hose?)?

wharris

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Re: Vat - Extra Large Stockpots
« Reply #49 on: July 04, 2009, 11:14:12 AM »
As you might expect, I have thought about all of these.

•Are you going to rest it on bottom or raise to allow better water flow underneath?
There will be 4 half bricks under the pot for it to rest on. This will allow flow underneath
 
•With that much heat generation on one side, are you going to have a small water circ device or just st usir by hand every now and then during your 40 min while raising temp?
I will be using a small, home depot submersible pond pump ($20) to keep the water circulated.
 
•How are you going to fill (hose?) and more importantly drain all that water (syphon hose?)?

I will fill the tank from a hose from he utility sink, but when  am done, i will open a valve (not yet purchased) to drain directly into a hose, to a floor drain.  For these test runs i may have to scoop or pump out.
« Last Edit: July 04, 2009, 11:21:07 AM by Wayne Harris »

wharris

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Re: Vat - Extra Large Stockpots
« Reply #50 on: July 04, 2009, 12:50:07 PM »
OK the first heat test results are in.

I had 100 gallons in water bath:
90-100 deg took about 14min
100-124 deg took about 38 min  (started to slow above 120deg)

So, looks like the math that called for 8,200 watts was correct, as 10,000watts put me a bit ahead of schedule. Sweet.  So far so good.

But this was just the 1st time trials with the water-bath only.  I will probably repeat in a couple of days (will take a while to lose all that heat) to test things like the submersible pump. 
Then I will introduce the stock pot and take seperate temp measurements inside the pot.

To do:
>Get my heat protocols developed and tested
>Finish my new curd knife
>get mould followers created

At the conclusion of both of those activities,  it will be "go-time".
 
« Last Edit: July 04, 2009, 12:56:01 PM by Wayne Harris »

newbie001

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Re: Vat - Extra Large Stockpots
« Reply #51 on: July 04, 2009, 02:17:35 PM »
Impressive. I really like this set up. But, I hate to have your electric bill with those 4 heating elements. Hopefully you have a way to regulate their output like a dimmer switch. You may not want the water to get hot too quick. Perhaps you have and I didn't see it.

What kind of displacement would you get with a full batch of milk inside your pot? I suspect that you may only need about 20 gallons of water in your water bath. You may have too much power with those four heating elements if you only have 20 gallons of water to heat up.

Will half bricks have the tensle strength to support a full pot with milk?

wharris

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Re: Vat - Extra Large Stockpots
« Reply #52 on: July 04, 2009, 02:43:50 PM »
The electric bill will spike a bit, but thankfully its only for about an hour every month or so.

The "dimmer" capability is accomplised by selectively turning ciruits on and off. While I have 5 heaters, they  do not all have to run at the same time.  I can simply run 2 or 3 or 4.  Also, I will be able to fine tune the heat actually transferred to the vat by raising or lowering the vat into the water bath. This adjusts the surface area of the vat that is getting heated.  The vat itself, is on a block and tackle that is used to raise and lower into the bath water.

Why do all this?  I have found that one of the most difficult aspects of cheesemaking is simply temperature control.  Sounds simple,  but I have found that it is more difficult than it seems.


In terms of the volume of the bath water,  this is a 100gallon water bath.  When I get to the point of putting the 25 gallong vat in the tank, I will only fill it to 75 gallons or a bit less.


Offline Cartierusm

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Re: Vat - Extra Large Stockpots
« Reply #53 on: July 04, 2009, 05:42:42 PM »
Good job grasshopper.

wharris

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Re: Vat - Extra Large Stockpots
« Reply #54 on: July 05, 2009, 11:37:25 PM »
Control panel version 1.1

Painted it, and added status light indicators.
I want to know when each circuit is activated.

Cheese Head

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Re: Vat - Extra Large Stockpots
« Reply #55 on: July 06, 2009, 10:34:32 PM »
That is one big power bar! Hope your household circuit will take that load.

Tea

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Re: Vat - Extra Large Stockpots
« Reply #56 on: July 06, 2009, 11:15:40 PM »
Oh Wayne, I can't stop laughing....
I got to the "I really don't know what I was thinking" comment and your daughter in the pot, and just lost it.

So now I am waiting for the cheese that this beast will make.

Bring it on....

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Vat - Extra Large Stockpots
« Reply #57 on: July 07, 2009, 02:37:43 AM »
Very impressive setup Wayne! Well at least you can reuse the water. I am so excited! I can't wait to see the first MONSTER cheese!

chilipepper

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Re: Vat - Extra Large Stockpots
« Reply #58 on: July 07, 2009, 04:21:15 PM »
Wayne that is too awesome!  The really good thing is after a hard day of cheese making you have your own hot tub to soak in and unwind with a bottle of your wine!! ;D

I too look forward to seeing some action shots of that whole operation!

Congrats!

Ryan

wharris

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Re: Vat - Extra Large Stockpots
« Reply #59 on: July 07, 2009, 09:17:34 PM »
Thanks all,  I still have a bit of building yet to do, (platform for tub, and lifting platform for vat.

And still much testing with regards to heating times and heat settings. 

But when i get those last few things worked out, i will take pics and let everyone know.
I think it will be july.  but we shall see